It's that time of year again...HALLOWEEN!

Dark Virtue said:
Please refer to my above quote regarding harvest fairs, I'd like your input.
Click to expand...

All of my harvest party experiences have been centered around God, not just a party held at the church. Sure, in some of them we dressed up and we did play games and have candy, but we also sang praise and worship songs and had miniature messages. It was an alternative that was meant to bring our children's focus on God rather than the pagan background of Halloween.

That being said, I can understand the comment made about celebrating something else on Halloween is acknowledging it. Well, we have to deal with the facts. The facts are that most people do celebrate Halloween. So what is wrong with giving our children an alternative? The eating of candy isn't evil. Let them do it in church with fellows believers and worship the Lord who created that candy.
 
Mr_Slice said:
All of my harvest party experiences have been centered around God, not just a party held at the church. Sure, in some of them we dressed up and we did play games and have candy, but we also sang praise and worship songs and had miniature messages. It was an alternative that was meant to bring our children's focus on God rather than the pagan background of Halloween.

That being said, I can understand the comment made about celebrating something else on Halloween is acknowledging it. Well, we have to deal with the facts. The facts are that most people do celebrate Halloween. So what is wrong with giving our children an alternative? The eating of candy isn't evil. Let them do it in church with fellows believers and worship the Lord who created that candy.
Click to expand...

That's exactly how Christmas and Easter became "Christian" holidays.

Thank your Pagan ancestors for the Winter Solstice and Ishtar.
 
[toj.cc]WildBillKickoff said:
I'm considering actually competing in my office's costume contest for the express purpose of winning a comp day. If you can picture Mr. Incredible (and if you can't, look up at my avatar), I look almost exactly like him, belly and all. I would win easily.

After all, it would be a shame for God to give me a talent and for me not to use it, right?;)
Click to expand...

Is this guy you??? :)

http://www.metic.net/news/data/upimages/422-mr-incredible.jpg
 
rofl, looks pretty close. for me i like to cosplay as Cid Highwind but thats beside the point
 
I heard a commercial today that said that 93% of American kids trick or treat.

Do you guys agree with this? It sounds awfully high to me.

I'm not sure what the basis was for this number, but I'll look into it.
 
I guess it depended on where they surveyed.

If they surveyed upper-middle class suburban areas, that's probably accurate.

If they surveyed poverty stricken inner cities, I'd say that number would drop dramatically.
 
More thoughts on Halloween!


The Unholy Evening
October 31, 2005

"And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy; and between unclean and clean" (Leviticus 10:10).



It is well known that the term "Halloween" associated with this date is a contraction of "Hallowed Evening," so-called because in the early medieval church, it was the evening for the vigil before "All Saints Day" on November 1, when all the designated "saints" of the church were especially to be remembered and honored.



Why this date was chosen is not clear, but it may be significant that many pagan religionists were also remembering their dead on that date, while also believing that their departed spirits returned at that time to interact in some way with the living. Especially prevalent among the Druids, this belief merged in many ways with the practices of ancient witchcraft, which also involved spirits, wide use of bonfires, and many questionable activities on that evening. In modern American popular usage, Halloween customs have evolved into "ghostly" parties, artificially "haunted" houses, and a childish protection racket ("trick or treat"). The "holy evening" is now at least "unholy" -- not necessarily wicked but certainly not God-honoring.



The warning of Moses and Aaron to the ancient religious leaders of Israel would perhaps be appropriate even today. There should be maintained a very clear and real "difference between holy and unholy."



"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing" (II Cor-inthians 6:17). This is not a legalistic dictum for salvation, but should at least be carefully considered in terms of one's Christian witness. "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Romans 14:5). "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17).
 
...and still more!

http://www.Titus2MenAndWomen.org/cgi/Devotions/MugMan.cgi.

Why We Don't Participate in Halloween
by Pastor Jeff Haney

The Haney house does not participate in Halloween. There, I said it, now I want to explain myself to you. The purpose of this article is not to condemn you if you do. I simply want to share with you where we stand, and why we stand there, so you will understand. I don't have the time or space in this article to bore you with holiday history of halloween, or "all hallows eve." I can tell you that it's wicked and evil, and you can believe me or not. From the "witches, goblins, ghosts, ghuls and graveyards" to the "jack-o-lanterns and costumes", the holiday roots itself firmly in the world of devils, death and darkness. Without having space to validate and verify that for you, you can either trust me or trash me, but I would encourage you to do just a little bit of research.

However, the conviction on our hearts for our family rests squarely on a different step. I don't believe that anyone doesn't believe what the Bible says about" mediums, necromancers (worshippers of the dead), witchcrafts, and magical arts." (You will do well to read Deuteronomy 18:10-13).



There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.



These things, which are in reality directly associated with the history of halloween, are considered abominations to the Lord. Most people I know believe that with all of their hearts. They would never practice witchcraft, black magic, consult mediums, or worship the dead. In reality, all of these things are of a truth dabbling with demons, and bring about catastrophic spiritual consequences. No believer I know would ever willfully dance with the devil. If they would, then I doubt they are a believer. No believer that I know would willfully associate themselves to true spiritual darkness. God's Word plainly says that "light and darkness" have no fellowship whatsoever, and I know that the believers I know believe that. Most believers, I know would never mix themselves up with the wicked evil of the devil's demon world. Amen.

Without sounding critical, my conviction against participating in Halloween, is that since I would never truly associate myself with the devil's darkness, while I would never allow my children to participate in witchcraft and black magic, while I would never celebrate death, (the enemy of our Lord Jesus Christ) why would I allow them to pretend to. The most common justification that people attempt to convince me of it is that, "it's all just in innocent fun! It's make believe! They're just pretending." I want to give you some things to think about, that at least will help you understand why my family has taken the stand it has.

First of all, I don't let my children pretend they are committing adultery; I don't let them pretend to cuss, pretend to drink alcohol, smoke, rob, steal or murder, so I'm not going to let them "pretend" to practice witchcraft, sorcery, or black magic. We are going to do our best to stay away from the real evil, so why would we want to pretend to be evil? We are told in God's Word to "abstain from the appearance of evil", why then would I pretend, or allow my children to pretend "evil".

Second of all, real evil is not make believe. There really are mediums, spirit worlds, demons, black magic and worshippers of the dead. As a parent, I am supposed to protect my child from evil, not allow him to pretend it.

The fact is that Halloween is a fun fantasy that pretends to participate in those things that are an abomination to God. There is an idea that as long as it's in "fun" there is nothing really wrong with it. I'm sure the men in the strip joint would say the same thing, "It's all in fun". Fun doesn't justify anything. Sin is fun, and it's fun to sin, if it wasn't we wouldn't do as much of it. Our God has called us to Holiness in our Heads, Hearts, and Homes, (1 Peter 1:15)



But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;



and we cannot pursue Holiness and pretend Darkness at the same time. We take very seriously God's call to purity. Yes we fail in other areas, but this is one area of our hearts that God has made us very sensitive to, and we have chosen to listen. I really do believe that according to the Bible, the devil's dark demons really are out there, I really do believe that the list of Deuteronomy 18:10-13 is an abomination to the Lord, and I really do believe, that if I allow my child to open their imagination, and pretend to practice darkness that I will be opening the gate wide to spiritual consequences in their life. My desire for my kids, is that they will not just be King's Kids, they will live like it, and think like it.
 
I wonder how many Christians either celebrate Halloween themselves, or let their children celebrate it. Would be an interesting figure to see.

As I was driving across the state this weekend, I can't tell you how many churches I saw on Saturday having "harvest carnivals". It was interesting that the children were not allowed to dress up, but the adults running the carnival WERE. Talk about confusing the kids.
 
Thanks for a good chuckle... You think the placement of All Saints Day is a complete fluke then, and that there just HAPPENED to be a prior Pagan rite on that date?

The same for Easter and Christmas no doubt?

*chuckles drily*
 
Officially, for the record, we did not celebrate Halloween. We went to the "harvest party" at church, saw people dressed up (as witches no less) and left immediately.

How about we move towards celebrating Pentacost instead :)
 
Genesis1315 said:
Officially, for the record, we did not celebrate Halloween. We went to the "harvest party" at church, saw people dressed up (as witches no less) and left immediately.

How about we move towards celebrating Pentacost instead :)
Click to expand...

DO you celebrate Pentacost?
 
hescominsoon said:
Let me add as well:
I went to my pastor and told him why we left the festival so quickly. I also let him know we would be in church the following Sunday but that we found the manner of dress at the festival too problematic to expose our daughter to. When we came to church the following sunday our pastor pulled us aside and apologized. Then he told us he talked witht he other assitant pastors and it was discovered a dress code in terms of what would be acceptable and what would not be acceptable was NOT communicated at all. he apologized for hte breakdown and tols us it has been addressed. Our church is very transparent and to see our pastor step forward and take responsibility was refreshing to see.
Click to expand...

Why did your pastors feel that dressing up was acceptable in the first place?

This has always been my problem with these harvest festivals, they're simply a way of embracing pagan holidays by slapping on a thin veneer of Christianity.
 
hescominsoon said:
What a broad brush. My pastor did not mean for this to happen as i noted in my previous reply..and it has been addressed. at no point did he condone it. The fact you are trying to say he did is offensive DV.
Click to expand...

Take it as you will.

Plainly put, Harvest Festivals are simply a Christian substitute for Halloween so Christian children don't feel left out.

INTELLECTUAL INTEGRITY anyone?
 
Last edited:
It's fine the rites don't have to be called anything in particular to be observed successfully. So long as the right things are rememebered on the right day, it's all good as far as I can see.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top